Everything about Meniscus Anatomy totally explained
» This article is about the parts in the human knee.
For other uses of the term meniscus, see meniscus and lens (optics).
In
anatomy, a
meniscus is a moon-shaped figure. It usually refers to either of two specific parts of
cartilage of the
knee. The knee contains a
lateral meniscus and a
medial meniscus. Both are
cartilaginous tissues that provide structural integrity to the knee when it undergoes
tension and
torsion. The menisci are also known as 'semi-lunar' cartilages - referring to their half-moon "C" shape - a term which has been largely dropped by the medical profession, but which led to the menisci being called knee 'cartilages' by the lay public.
Although menisci are largely associated with the knee, they're similar in function to structures called
articular disks in other parts of the body.
Anatomy
The menisci are two pads of
cartilaginous tissue which serve to disperse friction in the
knee joint between the lower leg (
tibia) and the thigh (
femur). They are shaped on the top and flat on the bottom, articulating the tibia. They are attached to the small depressions (
fossae) between the condyles of the tibia (intercondyloid fossa), and towards the center they're unattached and their shape narrows to a thin shelf.
Function
The menisci act to disperse the weight of the body and reduce friction during movement. Since the condyles of the femur and tibia meet at one point (which changes during
flexion and
extension), the menisci spread the load of the body's weight. This differs from
sesamoid bones, which are made of
osseous tissue and whose function primarily is to protect the nearby tendon and to increase its mechanical effect.
Injury
»
In
sports and
orthopedics, people will sometimes speak of "torn cartilage" and actually be referring to an injury to one of the menisci.
The
Unhappy Triad is a set of commonly co-occurring knee injuries which includes injury to the medial meniscus.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Meniscus Anatomy'.
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